Tonight, the table-toppers put the Boston Celtics on blast right in front of their home crowd! After a 25-3 start, the defending champs sent a loud and clear message to the league—they’re running it back this season. But then? The Cleveland Cavaliers had other plans. Twice, the Cavs stormed back, proving their grit and caliber, and breached TD Garden in epic fashion.

Following the embarrassing loss, Jaylen Brown responded his way, warning Cleveland that this fight wasn’t over. Meanwhile, Coach Joe Mazzulla didn’t hold back—calling for urgent action to get Boston back on track.

Firstly, let’s focus on the reigning Finals MVP, who put up commanding 37 points on a losing cause. Brown clearly wasn’t happy with the game’s result, yet he played it cool at the presser. When a reporter pinned him down, asking about blowing the leads, he evaded the question, saying, “It’s basketball. So, you got to just stay with it.” 

And in the same breath, JB addressed the team’s defensive shortcomings, and he credited the Cavs where it was due, saying, “They made some tough, timely baskets as well but, you know you got to play a full 48 minutes, especially with a good team like Cleveland.” This is where it gets serious. After all the diplomacy, Jaylen Brown brought out the villain in him, sending a warning to the table toppers.

“They’ve been playing well, shooting the ball well, they’re confident. So, looking forward to the next time we see them,” said Brown as a closing statement. This might seem like an ordinary word, but one has to look closer to understand the context. Tonight, the Cavs and Celts played their last game of the regular season series and it’s a tie (2-2). If Brown was looking forward to seeing them again, he meant the playoffs. Did he just declare a warning for the Eastern Conference Finals challenge? Looks like it. Addressing his players, coach Mazzulla delivered a stern message because he was unsatisfied with their performance.

Jaylen Brown & Co.’s major slip-up puts Mazzulla on the spot

In short, the Celtics don’t look like the same team that dominated the East last season. Heading into tonight’s game, the Celts had a huge stain on their jersey. They lost against the up-and-coming Pistons. Minutes into the game, the Celts established that they wanted to remove the stain, starting with a humongous lead.

Notably, it wasn’t just players, even the HCs of both teams were on their feet throughout the game. While the players battled with athleticism and shooting skills, Joe Mazzulla and Kenny Atkinson battled with strategies and mind games. The Cavs’ coach proved that he was the better strategist of the day. Whatever Joe threw at him, he tackled it effortlessly. The Wine & Gold side not only overcame the 25-3 lead but also a 17-point lead in the third quarter.

While Jaylen Brown had already moved on from the loss, the 36-year-old coach wasn’t letting it slide. Speaking at the presser, he said, ” When you lose like that, you know, everybody has to be better. Coaches have to be better. Players have to be better.” And just like JB looked forward to the future challenge, Mazzulla also hinted at it, saying, “You got to make better adjustments, you got to… put guys in position so constantly going back and forth and, you know, you try to put your team in position to win.”

The bottom line is that the Celts are eagerly waiting for a rematch after the humiliation. Next up, the only possible game they can face each other is in a playoff series. What do you think? Who will win the series?